Package for fluent commodities



Nov. 29, 1960 l.. l. voLcKENlNG 2,962,192

PACKAGE FOR FLUENT COMMODITIES Filed Sept. 10, 1958 INVENTOR. LLOYD I.VOLC KE N I N S- BY M ATTORNEY United States Patent O 2,962,192 PACKAGEFOR FLUENT CoMMonmEs sloyd Il. Yolckening, Glen Ridge, NJ., assigner tolivers- Ifee Company, Newark, NJ., a corporation' of Deliaware `FiledSept. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 760,186 1 Claim. (c1. zzz-.107)

This invention relates in general to packages or containers for.dispensing fluent substances or materials such as liquids, paste orpowder, for example, cod liver oil, nose drops or sprays, eye drops,iodine or the like, and more particularly, the invention contemplates apackage of thetype comprising at least two ilexible layers or sheets ofpackaging material such las cellophane, Pliolilm or Saran and the4 likesealed together tightly and permanently in Yzones forming and boundingbetween said layers a compartment containing a fluent Vcommodity andValso forming and bounding between said layers a restricted or reduceddischarge passage for said compartment and providing a seal for saidpassage. Packages of this character are generally openable by tearingthe layers of packaging materials along a line transverse of thedischarge neck.

It has been found that in packages of this type, the portions of thelayers of packaging material forming the side walls of the dischargepassage may adhere together so as to interfere with the discharge of thelluent commodity from the compartment or cause such discharge to be inthe form of objectionable spurts instead of drops or free flowingstreams when the package is squeezed.

Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide apackage of this type which shall include a novel and improved dischargepassage or neck which shall be normally self-sustained in open conditionbut can be closed by pressure on the layers of packaging material atopposite sides of the discharge neck when desired, for example, whiletearing the packaging layers to open the package and thereby preventunintended discharge of the iluent commodity through the discharge neck.

Another object is to provide such a package wherein the discharge neckshall include a resilient-walled tube formed of suitable material suchas a synthetic resin, for example, polyethylene, and the inherentresiliency of whose walls shall normally sustain the tube in opencondition, that is, with the passage therethrough unobstructed, therebyto prevent the walls of the discharge neck from adhering to each otherin such a way as to hinder or impede the flow of the fluent commodityfrom the compartment through the neck.

Still another object is to provide a package of this character whereinsaid neck tube shall be held in position by the sealed zones or byadhesive or thermoplastic connection to the portions of the packaginglayers that form the side walls of the discharge passage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a packagewherein the walls of the discharge neck shall be resilient and normallyexpanded to provide a free passage through the neck but can bemomentarily squeezed or pressed together to prevent llow of a commoditythrough said passage and will then automatically return to normalcondition, whereby the walls of the neck may serve as a valve to controlthe discharge of the iluent commodity from the compartment.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention 2,962,192Patented Nov. 29, 1960i ice will be brought out by the followingdescription in con-V junction With the accompanying drawing in whichFigure 1 is` a perspective view of a complete package embodying theinvention, showing the package in closed or sealed condition;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the package in open condition; d

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional viewapproximately on the plane of the line 3--3 of Fig# ure l with portionsbroken away;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view approximatelyon the plane of the lineV 4-4 of Figure l; and l Figure 5 is a Viewsimilar to Figure 4 showing the discharge neck temporarily closed byilattening or squeez-` ingk together thewalls of the neck tube.

Referring to the drawings, theV package` or container includes allexiblevwalled compartment A of any desired dimensions and capable ofretaining the desired iluent commodity Ysuch as a liquid, vapor, pasteor powder. The compartment has a reduced or restricted discharge neck Bthat is normally sealed to prevent escape ofthe commodity from thecompartment A but .can beV man; ually opened whenlity is desired todischarge the` commodity from the compartment through said' 'nec/k; andthe neck has resilient walls which are normally expanded to provide afree passage through the neck but can be momentarily squeezed or pressedtogether to close said passage and prevent ow of the lluent commodityfrom the compartment.

More specifically describing the package, it is shown as comprising atleast two layers 1 and 2 of suitable flexible packaging material such ascellophane, Pliofilm, Saran or the like that may be inherentlythermoplastic or fusable or have a thermoplastic or fusable coating sothat the two layers can be thermoplastically sealed under heat andpressure as indicated at 3 to bound and form the compartment and thedischarge passage B between the two layers. Obviously the layers incontact with the fluent commodity such as a liquid or paste 4 in thecompartment must be inert, that is, it must not affect or be aifected bythe commodity or permit seeping of the commodity through the layers. Asshown, the discharge passage or neck is preferably elongate and aresilientwalled tube 5 is interposed between the portions 3a of thepackaging layers that form the discharge neck. 'I'he layers 3 are sealedtogether in a zone 3b that extends transverse of the outer end of theneck tube 5 so as normally to seal the commodity within the compartment,as shown in Figures l and 3. The discharge neck is opened by tearing thepackaging layers 1 and 2 transversely across the outer end of the necktube and preferably a line of scoring 6 is provided in the layers tofacilitate the tearing of the layers and the breaking of the seal of thedischarge neck. Figure 2 shows the sealing portion or llap 3b removed soas to open the discharge neck for ow of the commodity from thecompartment when the flexible walls of the compartment are squeezed orcompressed toward each other.

The neck tube 5 may be formed of any suitable material, for example, asynthetic resin such as polyethylene, and its walls are resilient andnormally self-sustained or expanded so as to maintain a free opening orpassage through the tube as best shown in Figures 3 and 4, but it isalso desirable that the walls of the tube be such that they may beeasily compressed or squeezed together between the thumb and index ngerof the user of the package as shown in Figure 5, for example, during thetearing of the sealing llap 3b to open the compartment, and therebyprevent accidental or unintentional discharge of the commodity from thecompartment. Also, after the discharge neck has been opened, the wallsof the neck may be alternately compressed and released so as to serve asa valve to permit discharge of the commodity in small quantities such asdrops.

The neck tube 5 preferably is secured in position by the sealed zones 3that connect the packaging layers to-` gether, portions of the layers 1and 2 being drawn tightly into contact with the exterior surface of thetube during the sealing of the layers between sealing dies. However, ifdesired, the tube might be secured to the layers 1 and 2 adhesively orthermoplastically.

The invention makes it possible to produce inexpensively from imsy andnon-self-sustaining sheet material, packages for fluent commodities,having discharge necks the walls of which cannot become accidentally orunintentionally closed by the collapse and sticking together of thelayers, and the invention also provides a simple and inexpensive valvefor controlling the discharge of the fluent commodity from thecompartment.

It will be understood that the package may be shaped and decorated asdesired and that preferably the walls of the compartment or at least onethereof will be transparent so that the commodity in the compartment canbe easily seen by the user of the package. Furthermore, while the nowpreferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described forthe purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, manymodifications and changes may be made in the construction of the packageor container within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

A package for a fluent commodity comprising at least two layers of atthin flexible sheet material providing a commodity-containingcompartment with a reduced narrow elongate discharge passage betweenthem, the portions of said layers forming the side walls of said passagehaving an inherent tendency to collapse and adhere to each other andclose said passage, and separate reinforcing means between said portionsand normally holding them in spaced relation to each other to maintainsaid passage open, said reinforcing means being a resilientwalledcylindrical tube secured in uid-tight relation to and between saidportions of the packaging layers forming said discharge passage, andsaid tube being self-sustaining but resilient-walled providing formomentary closing of the discharge passage by application of pressureexteriorly on said portions of the layers that form the side walls ofsaid passage to force said portions toward each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,438,487 Greene Dec. 12, 1922 2,222,267 Schnabel Nov. 19, 19402,428,261 Bogoslowsky Sept. 30, 1947 2,663,461 Brown Dec. 22, 19532,705,579 Mason Apr. 5, 1955 2,896,827 Stern July 28, 1959

